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Tires are a vital part of your car, and play a significant role in driving safety. Making sure your tires are safe for all driving conditions is not difficult, but does require some diligence. Here are the top 5 tire safety tips you should be heeding:

1. Replace tires when needed, and use matched pairs or completely new sets
At a certain point, all tires wear out and will need to be replaced. When this happens, you should replace them with new tires, however, make sure you get matched pairs or completely new sets. Don’t just replace a single tire as this can upset the balance of the vehicle. Buying tires online is one way to get discounted prices. Make sure you use coupons, rebates, or prepaid cards for Goodyear or other top brands.

2. Keep tires in proper balance
Tire balancing involves placing weights in the inner circumference of the tires. It is important to balance your tires so that the ride is even and to prevent excessive wear to certain components of your car. All tires are balanced at installation, but you should get them re-balanced whenever they are remounted (such as when they are rotated).

3. Rotate your tires every 5000 -7000 miles
Tire rotation is important for ensuring even tread wear of your tires. This is important because usually, the front and back tires will wear out at different rates. By rotating your tires, you will get more uniform wear and prolong the life of your tires.

4. Inspect your tires
Every now and then, visually inspect your tires, and look out for cracks, signs of puncture, excessive wear, and anything else that may stick out and indicate your tires are damaged. When you see any such indications, have a mechanic inspect and repair your tire if necessary.

5. Check your tire pressure every month.
Most tire failures are due to underinflated tires. Buy a tire gauge and measure the air pressure monthly, and add air if necessary.